Faded Petals
by deadstrawberries
Summary: He left her with a son and came back to find her gone, taken away with no memories of her past. Left with a broken child he has never met with him, he goes on a journey to find her and to revive her memories. SakuSasu
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

Faded Petals

Prologue

The wet laundry hung from the laundry lines-their damp sleeves lifting up with the soft breeze. She held the empty clothe basket and gazed at her finished work, the corners of her mouth uplifted in a small smile. The sun was warm on her back, the sunlight sending a pale halo of yellow onto her hair of cotton candy pink.

"Okaa-san."

She turned around to where a small boy stood, and the minute smile on her face widened. "Yuki-chan?"

"Is it almost time for lunch?" He spoke in a small voice, strangely calm for one so small.

"Hai.I'm almost done with the laundry. I'll fix lunch soon. Are you hungry?"

"A little." His wide eyes-an obsidian black in the shadow and a dark green in the light-looked up at her.

Her aquamarine eyes glanced at him-at his dark hair, so unlike her own, that stuck up near the back and at his small, cherub face. A face that reminded her of someone from so long ago…someone who had left without warning and had instead given her this…

She had been different before…more naïve, a little more selfish, and too innocent. She was different now...a different Sakura.

She hugged her son and beamed at him. "Okay, let's go inside. Want to help me cook lunch?"

"Hai!" His face brightened and together, they entered their house.

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Night came soon, blanketing the sky in darkness and in bright points that were stars. With Yuki asleep, she left the house, just wanting to be alone. The night air was cold and prickled her skin as she walked.

Their house was away from the other houses, a solitary shack at the border of the village, near the forests. Naruto had begged to live closer to him and Hinata but she had declined. She liked it that way-just her and her son.

She found the clearing in the forest, the same as before, with the jagged brook running through it. She squatted down by the water, shining with the moonlight that pierced through the thick forest trees. It was just her and her thoughts now…

She could still remember him, even now. She could still hear the whispers of his name in her head…_Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke…._She saw his face in that of their son everyday.

She remembered his face when Naruto had brought him back from Oroichimaru. She remembered his face, taunt with anger and she remembered thinking to himself that he would leave Konoha again to avenge his clan.

And he did, later when they were both seventeen. She had just finished her training with the Fifth Hokage. She was strong, but would never be as strong as him or Naruto. He could have been great even if he stayed. He could have been part of the ANBU, he could have started a future for himself. But he left. She had told him before he left that she loved him-the same way she had before. He had almost smiled and just before he left, they had been together-a night that had produced Yuki. She knew he hadn't loved her the way she had wanted him to but it had been good enough.

She didn't expect him to come back. She had waited for nearly seven years, and now Yuki was eight and he still wasn't back. She hadn't stopped waiting for him though. Just because she didn't wait by the road everyday didn't mean that she had stopped waiting.

And now, Naruto had his own family with HInata and everyone else had also settled down. They all looked at her with worried faces, asking her why she didn't bring Yuki-chan to come play with the other kids, why she didn't come socialize with them, eat ramen. But she was fine, she really was. She was happy-as happy as she could be.

The sky was turning a shade of dusty pink and purple. She picked herself up from the ground, and headed home. Yuki had always been an early riser.

The house was dark when she entered it. She heard a soft scuffling.

"Yuki-chan?" She whispered.

There was no answer. Her heart pounded a little faster and she stepped into the bedroom and saw a dark silhouette standing by her son's bed.

As dawn's rays shone through the window, her eyes widened as she saw the face. The black eyes…the black hair…_Sasuke?_

But then she saw the two lines that ran down the man's face and her green eyes narrowed.

"Itachi!"


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

AN:

mitchigirl: Thanks for reviewing and here's the next chapter! Come back and review next time!

Kawaii Hisui: …you're sscccarrryy….just kidding. Thanks for the review, and here's the update.

Maya Amano: Thanks for ze review, and here is the latest update. Hope you enjoy!

Silver Fox Trot: Really glad you like it, and here's your update-hope it's soon enough.

Susakuru: Thanks for the review! I hope it really is a good concept.

Blood Red Nin: Thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter too!

Faded Petals

Chapter One

The blood drained from her face when she saw the dark figure stand over her son's sleeping body. Her heart racing, she pulled out a kunai, her body a blur as she flashed in front of her son.

"Get away from him!"

He turned slowly towards her, his eyes, permanently dyed a bloody shade of red, staring through her. He looked so much like Sasuke, but that feeling of emptiness…it surrounded him…His eyes…they were _empty…_

But the crimson eyes drew away as Yuki stirred under the blankets.

"So this is the son of my foolish little brother…"

Sakura clutched the kunai harder. "I told you to get away from him!"

The dark figure remained motionless, the light from the window making his face gaunt, and hard like stone… She threw the kunai, but he dodged it easily, taking a step back, his eyes still looking right through her. Her kunai lodged deep into the wall, tiny flakes of plaster falling down like snow.

"What do you want with Yuki? And why are you here?"

"…." Those eyes, those red eyes still stared right through everything.

She saw her son sleepily raise his head, rubbing his eyes. And she saw his eyes snap open at the sight of the strange man, bewilderment apparent on his face.

"O…kaa-san?"

Her eyes still on Itachi, she yelled at him. "Yuki, run! Get away from the house right now! Go to the village, find Naruto-kun! Run, Yuki!"

She saw his confusion, saw the hesitant look on his face.

"Okaa-san…?"

"Just run, Yuki! Just go! Don't stay here! Now!"

He hesitated only a little, before climbing to the window and jumping out, a tiny figure with a head of black as he ran towards the village.

Itachi's eyes trailed after Yuki's disappearing figure.

"I see…So I shall have to take another hostage instead…"

"..H-hostage?" She whispered, her voice cracking.

"….For this…for what my foolish brother did to me.." He hissed.

Her eyes followed his empty gaze to what she had not seen before. His right arm, a bloody stump.

"…My foolish brother has grown indeed, but not enough….I will always be a step ahead."

"But why…why are you here? Who are you taking as your hostage? I will not let you get near any of friends! Stay away from Konoha!"

Again, he did not answer. She pulled out another kunai, ready for another attack.

Instead, he whispered harshly, "So you were important to him once. He had a child with you…I see…So you shall be my hostage…."

Her eyes widened, but her hand tightened on the kunai, her eyes angry.

"Hostage? Me? I don't think so. I won't agree to help you in any way, in any of your twisted plans! I'll fight you if I have to!"

"…It seems you have no choice."

He disappeared before her eyes, and then, she felt his fingers at her neck. The next thing, she was falling, falling through darkness, inky darkness.

"You're wrong, Itachi." she thought before her eyes closed. "Sasuke-kun didn't care about me….That's why I can't be a hostage…._He doesn't care about me at all…that's why he left me and that's why he'll never come to look for me…."_

That's it, folks. Please review if you have the time! Helps motivate me a bit.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

AN:

Blood Red Nin: Oh yes, Sasuke's lovely butt! I hope this chapter's interesting too! Thanks for reviewing!

Kawaii-Hisui: Oh no, you didn't scare me _that _much. But thanks for the review and hope you like this chapter.

Anata: XD Here's the update! Hope you enjoy!

Sasuke fanatic1: Thanks for the review! Still not sure what's going to happen later on, but I sure hope Sasuke goes rescue her!

Star Cherry: spooky? O . 0 Wow….I didn't know the story was spooky…But thanks for the review!

Lady Light: Thanks for reviewing! Here is the third part of the story! Yay!

Reviewer: Thanks for the review! I'm not that great at writing about feelings so, thanks for the review!

Naarrruuutttto: (panting after counting all the letters and retyping them) Thanks for reviewing and tadah! Another update!

Iluvanime493: Glad you like it! XD Thanks for the review!

Greater Lights: Really? It was _good? _(weeps tears of joy) Thank you!

Faded Petals

Chapter Two

_She was falling through the darkness, her hands groping for something to latch onto, her fingers clawing at the shadows around her. She thought she saw **his** hand, reaching out for hers, but when she tried to reach for him, her hands met nothing but thin air. Nothing was real anymore…Even her voice, as she tried to scream, was gone. Everything was slipping away_, _crumbling piece by piece and falling away to reveal only the dark…_

An empty space, a hollow silence greeted her when she awoke. She opened her eyes to see trees of crystalline green towering over her, creating a sky of entwined branches and tangled leaves above.

She could not remember why she was there, sitting in the middle of nowhere, with trees surrounding her. No matter how hard she tried to remember why she was there, no answer, no memory of how she came to be appeared. And she couldn't explain, either, why her heart was beating so fast.

Her own body was unfamiliar to her as if she could not remember being in it. And she couldn't. She couldn't remember-her name, who she was, where she came from, it was all gone…

"Why can't I remember?" she whispered, her own voice unfamiliar to her. "Why can't I remember who I am?"

She reached her hands up to touch her hair, running her hands over her face. It was unfamiliar, but she recognized it as her own. But why couldn't she remember who she was?

She ripped at her hair in frustration, trying to find the memories and information about herself that she had lost. _Why can't I remember?_

And then, she heard a crackle, the sound of dried leaves being stepped on, the only sound that broke the silence. Her hand had automatically shot to her waist, but found nothing there.

"So you're awake."

She saw the man, clothed all in black, standing by a tree. His crimson red eyes scared her, the way it seemed to take in everything. One of his arms was missing. But his face was handsome, pale and framed by ebony black hair. Everything about him frightened her, but there was no one here but him-a dark, twisted, fallen angel standing before her.

"Where am I? Who am I? If you know, please tell me." Her hands trembled as she spoke and she felt so tired.

"…You are Haruno Sakura."

_Haruno Sakura…Haruno Sakura…Sakura. _For a brief moment, visions of a blonde boy with blue eyes, shouting 'Sakura-chan' flashed through her head but then the memory dissolved and her mind was blank again.

"W-Where…is my home?" She asked. "Where is…my family?"

"You have no home. You have no family."

_No family…? No home…? _

"Why can't I remember anything? Can you tell me why I can't remember?"

"…You lost your memory fighting an enemy. You will not be able to regain the memories you lost."

"Then…where do I go? Please, help me…"

"You will come with me." His face was blank, his eyes soulless, even as he spoke to her.

"With you?" She blinked, confused. "Demo, who are you?"

"My name…is Itachi." There was a brief flicker in his scarlet eyes.

"Itachi-san, did I know you…before I lost my memories..?"

"…Yes…"

"…I…I….Will it be safe…if I go with you?"

"…..Yes…"

_I have no choice. I have no home. I'm lost. _But he still scared her…

"Arigatou, Itachi-san. For letting me accompany you….to wherever you are going…"

He turned his back on her and began walking into the shadows of the trees. And she followed.

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The young man with the raven hair walked along the road, a lone figure going in the direction of the Hidden Leaf Village.

He was going home.

After all these years, he was going back to Konoha. A place he could now only faintly remember, a place where he had made a best friend in a blonde headed boy and had found companionship in a girl with the name of a flower.

He knew they would be changed as he had changed, over the years. They would be different, as he was different now.

He no longer longed to see Itachi's blood spilt over the floor. His unfinished revenge had taught him that. The blood that had spilled from Itachi's arm…it had disgusted him. That day, seeing his own brother's blood drip onto the floor had only reminded him that his brother's blood was the same as his. And he didn't want to become Itachi's replacement…a killer.

He wanted it to be like it had been before. Those days when it had been just the three of them. That feeling of companionship.

He wondered about Naruto, wondered if he had gotten stronger and had become Hokage.

He thought about Sakura, the girl who had been annoying at first, but then had become more of a comfort to him…someone he had trusted.

He thought about them as he headed towards Konoha, each step bringing him closer.

He was going home.

AN: Please review if you have the time! Really makes me happy and encourages me that I can actually finish this!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto.

AN:

Lady Light: ..Noope…Poor little Sasuke doesn't know…the oblivious one. I hope I didn't make it too confusing… . Thanks for reviewing!

Kawaii Hisui: Hey, thanks for reviewing for all of the chapters! You really think the first part was kewl? Thanks! XD

Darktank: XD Really? You like it! Really makes my day when people like my stories! XD

barby: I hope the wait wasn't too long! Actually, I'm kind of bad at doing cliff hangers and stuff…so…XD thanks for the review.

Iluvanime493: Thanks for the review! It's hard to write this fic since I mostly do AU stuff so…. . 

Crystal Koneko: XD Well, here you are! More!

Super kai-chan: Yeah, actually I kind of laugh when I reread my own stories cuz they seem kind of funny! But I'm really trying to make the chapters longer so thanks for the review!

Anata: Thanks for the review! And XD, Sasuke just manages to be LATE in the most crucial times!

bl: Here's your update! Hope you like!

Greater Lights: Hehehe...rubs hands together evily glad people like the story!

Hanyo girl: WoW! THANKS for the three reviews and for the invitation for your C2 community! flashes teeth at hanyo girl

Darkhope: Wow! Glad I got so many reviews! And your review made 12 reviews in all! My lucky number! OH YEAH!

Faded Petals

Chapter Three

_He had awoken to the sound of his mother's frantic voice and to the sight of a dark man standing before him, with eyes like liquid pools of blood. In the dark room, there had been strange silhouettes, dark against the white walls. _

_"Yuki, run!" His mother had called to him. "Go find Naruto-kun! Run Yuki!"_

_His mother had been scared. He had seen that look in her eyes, the look of a caged bird, cornered by a cat. It had frightened him. **His** mother was never scared. She wasn't supposed to be. She was his mother and **his **mother wasn't afraid of anything. And he had wanted to stay, because nobody should make his mother afraid like that. But she had yelled at him and he hadn't wanted to disobey her. He hadn't wanted to make her sad. So he had ran as fast as he could, pounding on Naruto-san's door, and screaming hysterically that his mother was in danger, that there was a strange man at his house… But his mother was gone when they ran back to the house. She was gone, and it had been his fault…He had been the only one who had seen that look in her eyes, but still, he had ran away. It would be his fault, wouldn't it, if his mother was gone forever? It would be his fault if she never came back, never smiled at him again... …Okaa-san….Will you come back? …Okaa-san….._

Hinata peered anxiously into the dim room, her lavender eyes roaming over to where a dark figure sat, huddled in one corner.

"Yuki-chan? Are you alright?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. "…If you're hungry, you can come eat dinner with me and Naruto-kun in the kitchen…I'm still preparing dinner, but it's ramen for dinner tonight…"

The figure in the corner was silent, but Hinata saw the way Yuki's small body was quivering.

"Yuki-chan…If you need help, you can come talk to me or Naruto-kun…alright...I'm…I'm sure your mother..is fine…"

Silence. Hinata sighed, her eyes troubled. Yuki-chan had not spoken, hadn't eaten for the last two days he had stayed with her and Naruto, ever since Naruto had carried him back from the house Yuki and his mother had lived in. She was worried about him, the small boy who did nothing but stare at the wall, curled tightly in a ball, with blank eyes. Though the Hokage had sent out ninjas to search for Sakura, they had not found her…and Yuki had remained in this mute, _dead_ state…

"Yuki-chan," she tried again, her voice pleading. "I-I'm sure your mother will be fine. Please…will you just eat something?"

Still, silence. She walked into the room, standing behind him, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"Please…Yuki-chan?" She whispered.

There was still no reply. She backed slowly out of the room, letting out a small sigh of disappointment. As she turned her back to him, she heard him let out a soft, muffled whimper, and heard him whisper, '_Okaa-san, I'm sorry…' _

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_Why couldn't they find her? _

Naruto's hand tightened into a fist as he headed home, the dying sun sinking into the red-yellow sky behind him.

They had searched everywhere for Sakura, but she was gone-no signs of struggle, no signs of anything. But it wasn't possible, was it? That she had left on her own will with Itachi? Naruto clenched his fist tighter. No, it wasn't possible. He was sure that Sakura would never leave her son and leave with Itachi…it just wasn't possible…._but what if…wasn't there always that possibility that Sakura…..that Sakura had…._

"Naruto-kun!"

He looked up to see Hinata standing near outside of the house, her face worried.

"Hinata-chan!" He tried to smile as he headed towards her, but failed miserably.

She didn't smile either. "Naruto-kun…Yuki-chan still hasn't eaten or spoken. If he doesn't eat soon…he could starve…"

Naruto's face was troubled. "…Yeah…"

"And…I'm worried about him…He's Sakura's son after all, but he's also Sasuke's child. Do you think…he'll go and try to find his mother? …Sakura…she was last seen with Itachi…so she…she was probably…taken by him…Do you think Yuki-chan….."

"I don't know, Hinata…I guess…I guess we can only hope for the best…"

"Hai…"

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_The sky had been moonless the day he left, just a great expanse of dark blue sky…And just like the last time, she had been waiting for him near the edge of Konoha…But it wasn't the same this time…This time, she knew he wasn't going to come back._

_"Are you leaving again?" She had asked, her eyes downcast, her voice hiding disappointment._

_"What do you think? I can't just give up revenge now…" He didn't look at her, his onyx eyes staring off somewhere else._

_"Well, I…You know I still love you?"_

_"….."That half smile on his face…_

_And then, her face had turned distressed, upset. She never was that good at hiding her emotions-not like him, at least. _

_"Why are you leaving? You don't have to go! Your whole life revolves around your revenge! But it doesn't have to be! Why can't you just forget about it? Killing your brother won't bring your clan back!"_

_"You're still annoying, you know?"_

_And he had kissed her, one last goodbye present. And they had lain down together in the grass, with the sky above them…knowing it would end sooner or later…_

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The Fifth Hokage sat in her office, peering out the window to the sky outside. A bottle of sake sat on her desk, half finished, and the Hokage was perplexed, very perplexed. Sakura-one of her former pupils-had vanished-not good news at all…Tsunade sighed…Maybe she _was_ getting old-she could feel her bones creaking when she walked. Perhaps it was time to appoint another Hokage…

Just then, the door of her office open, and a black-clad ninja stepped in.

"Hokage-sama," he gasped, "I'm sorry to say we still haven't found anything on Haruno Sakura…But we have news…A missing nin… from about seven years ago-Uchiha Sasuke-has been spotted along the Konoha border."

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow. _So the great Uchiha Sasuke was finally back In Konoha, eh? Just wonderful…_


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto.

AN:

Sorry, I know I usually comment and thank the people who reviewed but this week, I'm a little out of time and can't really do that. But I've read all the reviews like a million times, and thanks to you all (you know who you are, reviewers)!

Faded Petals

Chapter Four

_She was standing in a field of fresh snow, icy petals floating down from the dark sky. Her hair was crusted with a veil of ice, snowflakes resting on her eyelashes. The wind blew against her arm and she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself._

_It wasn't long before her knees crumpled and she fell to the powdery snow below. She closed her eyes, feeling sleep reach at her mind…It was so cold…_

_But then, a faint, muted yell that she could not quite hear reached her ears, and a ball of red-orange fire appeared, flicking all around her, fire that did not burn her skin, but instead, warmed it._

_The ice melted slowly and before she knew it, the sun was shining on her back, and she was sitting on a field of blooming flowers. _

_"Who…..?" She stuttered. _

_And she turned and saw a glimpse of black hair…obsidian eyes…But it was gone as soon as she blinked. Faces flashed before her, images of a blond haired, laughing boy, images of a serious black haired boy, images that went away with the wind. _

Sakura's eyes opened to the brown of the ground beneath her, the fast fading memory of last night's dream still imprinted in her mind-the feeling of the snow against her arms and face, the feel of the sun on her face, and the visions of those faces she still could not remember.

She sat up from the ground where she had been sleeping. _Why do I have the same dream every night? Why do I always see the same faces? …Are these dreams meant to mean something?_

She had been traveling with Itachi-san for over two days now, journeying through the same forests all through silence. She did not know where they were headed…Itachi-san never told her-it seemed he did not like to talk. The only time they stopped was to let _her_ rest-apparently he did not need to sleep-and to eat. His presence still made her uncomfortable. But she trusted him. She was positive, _positive, _that he was a good person, even if he was the "silent" type.

She blinked, yawned, and stood up. She saw Itachi-san close by, leaning near the base of a tree.

"We shall go now, now that you are awake."

He started to walk and she followed him, following a non-existent trail that only Itachi-san could see through the forest. But progress today seemed slower somehow, and a heavy weight hung around the air. Sakura saw him move his arm-at least what remained of it- and saw the twitch of his face-as if in grimace. Perhaps his wound was bothering him…

She reached her arm out to touch his shoulder.

"Itachi-san are you alrigh-" But before she could finish, her hand was being crushed by his. Tears of pain sprang to her eyes.

His cold, red eyes met hers…. "Don't touch me."

It was a command, laced with ice. His grip was hard, and Sakura winced, her heart beating, resounding loudly in her chest. His red eyes stared at her again, before he turned back around, his hand letting go of hers.

"Gomen-nasai….I'm sorry…" She whispered.

Silence hung in the air….

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He knew he was surrounded even before they appeared from behind the trees- the black clad ninjas. A smirk gracing his lips, he waited as the Hokage stepped out from their ranks, her arms crossed against her chest. He had known beforehand that they would not have let him enter the gates of Konoha so easily-him being a "dangerous" missing nin. He would just have to bear with their questioning, and hope they would see he meant no harm and let him enter Konoha.

"Do not move, Sasuke. You are surrounded." She looked old, older than she had looked before.

"Hm…" _Do you think I'm stupid? _

"You do know you have been labeled a missing nin after disappearing for all those years, don't you? We could kill you on the spot, you know. But if you answer our questions, we may consider letting you back into Konoha, though you will be supervised extremely thoroughly through several months of probation. Do you agree?"

"Hm. Just get it over quickly…"

"Alright….However, I will have to bind your arms while I question you in case you attempt anything dangerous. It's part of the procedure and it will help convince me that you are not…._dangerous._"

He nodded and Tsunade flicked out a rope, tightly tying his arms together with it.

"First of all, why are you back in Konoha? I'm sure you know yourself that you have been labeled a missing nin. The punishment of abandoning your own village is not a particularly pleasant one, you know."

He looked at her levelly before replying. "I felt like coming back."

"That's not an answer, Sasuke. I want reasons, _real_ reasons."

"Fine, let's just say I got tired of my revenge. Call it regret or whatever you want…."

Her eyebrows furrowed but she continued with her questioning. "How do I know you are not a spy who has come to steal our secrets?"

"You're the Hokage. You should know. I guarantee I'm not dangerous."

"I'm not that sure I can trust you."

"Look, if you really don't trust me, then capture me and toture me for information. But I'm telling you now, my abilities are much stronger than before. I can take a lot of your men down before you capture me."

"Is that a threat, Uchiha?"

He shrugged. "Only if you want to take it like a threat."

There was a moment of silence. Then, Tsunade shrugged.

"It's a little out of the blue, isn't it Sasuke? To come back after all this time, out of the blue? But I believe that with your abilities, you have much to contribute to our community. I shall allow you to stay, but you _will_ be supervised-by Naruto. You remember your teammate don't you? But I have to warn you, _things are different from the way you remember. Things have changed._"

He said nothing.

"Two ninjas will escort you to Naruto's house. They will explain to him his duties and if you show me you are trustworthy after a period of probation, you will be allowed to stay."

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They led him to a medium sized, wooden house near the center of the village. Sasuke noticed, with slight amusement, that it was only a few buildings away from the ramen shop.

"Uzamaki-san!" One of his escorts knocked loudly on the wooden door. "Please open the door."

A moment passed before the door was opened by-to Sasuke's utmost surprise-the quiet, periwinkle eyed girl he remembered was called Hinata.

Things really _had_ changed if Hinata and Naruto-the-dobe had tied the knot. Sasuke vaguely remembered Hinata and Naruto dating before he had left.

Hinata's eyes blinked and widened as she saw Sasuke. Then, she nodded to the men escorting him.

"I'll go get Naruto-kun right away." She ran back into the house.

A moment later, Naruto came lumbering out, rubbing his head of blonde hair with one hand. He hadn't changed that much, Sasuke noticed, except he looked a lot like one of the former hokages, whose picture hung in Tsunade's office. Naruto looked curiously at the two men at his door, not noticing the third, black haired man behind them.

"Hey, what's going on-"

Their eyes met and both of them-former allies, former enemies-froze.

Silence was in the air.

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Then, silence was broken.

"It's you! Sasuke-teme! You're back!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, pointing and jabbing wildly at Sasuke.

Sasuke glanced nonchalantly at Naruto, before his two escorts began to speak in hushed voices to the blonde haired man.

"What, I have to supervise Sasuke-teme?" He heard Naruto say loudly. He saw Naruto leer at him over the shoulders of the two escorts with laughing blue eyes, before returning to converse with the two ninjas.

Finally, the two ninjas bowed to Naruto and vanished in puffs of smoke. Naruto stared hard at Sasuke, before grinning widely, looking more foxy than he had before.

"You're back huh? Well, I told you before that you should have stayed in Konoha. Well, whatever. I guess you'll be staying with me and Hinata for a while, huh?"

"Still an idiot, Naruto? I'm telling you now. Just cuz you're the one supervising me doesn't mean you've become any less of the idiot you were bfore." Sasuke smirked.

"Whatever. Still an icebox, Sasuke-TEME?" Naruto glared back.

The two of them stood there, not saying a word. There was a familiar air around the two and for a moment, it felt just like it had before when it had just been Team 7.

"Naruto!" Hinata ran out of the house, eyes worried.

"Huh?" Naruto looked questioningly at her. "Oh yeah, Sasuke-teme will be staying with us for a while." He was cut off as Hinata shook his shoulders wildly.

"Naruto! Yuki is gone!"

_Yuki? _Confusion filled Sasuke's head as Naruto raced off after Hinata inside the house. Then, he remembered what Tsunade had said.

"But I have to warn you, _things are different from the way you remember. Things have changed._"

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_I'm going to find Okaa-san. I'll bring her back. I'll find her and we'll go back to Konoha together! _

It had been his fault after all that his mother had been kidnapped by that man. That man with the strange eyes and black hair. If he had….if only he had stayed with her…

Yuki slid down from the limb of the tree he had been sitting on. He would find his mother. But first, he would have to get stronger. He would train as hard as he could, maybe with Naruto-san. He would get stronger…and then he would find her.

He had climbed from out of Naruto-san's house from the window, feeling slightly guilty that he had been so rude to Hinata-san. He had walked back to the empty house he and his mother had once shared, climbing onto the tree that had stood close by, feeling the need to think by himself. He knew Hinata-san and Naruto-san would be worried when they found he was gone from the room. His mother would have yelled at him. But considering she wasn't here anymore……….

He headed back to house, intending on apologizing to Hinata-san and Naruto-kun. But then he saw a strange man near the door, a man with black hair and eyes of obsidian. _Why does he look like the guy who kidnapped Okaa-san…? Could he be………._

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Sasuke waited impatiently for Naruto to return. It was true, what Tsunade had said. Things had changed without him. Many things were different now-he could not expect them to be the same. He would just have to learn to get used to the changes-whether he liked it or not.

He heard a rustle behind him and saw a small boy of about seven or eight, glaring at him.

"Hey, what's your problem……" He stopped and looked closer at the boy, and saw a face that mirrored his.

_Black hair. Black-no, green black eyes…That face….it looks like…it looks like me. But it couldn't be…. _

Then, with growing alarm he remembered, remembered the night he had shared with Sakura, remembered gazing into her green eyes…

_It couldn't be……Was it? Was it possible…….? Had things really changed that much?_

_A/N: Please review! Gomen for the long pause between updates! Hope you like the cliffhangie! _


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: oh yeah, all flashbacks and thoughts are in italics.

Darkhope: hmmm…. perhaps! Thanks for da review!

Crystal Koneko: but cliffie's are GOOD! And yep, this chapter will make the cliffy go away! Thanks for da review!

Little-haruno-sakura: heh…I guess I didn't exactly update soon, but better late then never! Thanks for da review!

Blackphoenix: glad you like it Thanks for da review, and I hope you like this chapter too!

Jem: heh….I thought the last chapter was pretty long…? Oh well, I'll try to make them longer, but I'm not that good at writing, so updates are pretty slow considering…heh sweat drops

Narumi-chan: Here da update!

Sillymail: Thank you for da review!

Kawaii Hisui: Thanks for da review! Wow…you gave a really long review! But it twas cool! (and maybe itachi and sasuke really will have a fight for sakura's love! ) actually, I haven't decided if this is going to have any ita saku stuff at all…

Iluvanime493: Thanks for da review, and here is the update!

Darktank: Yep, Sasuke needs anger management some times. HE really has a brother complex. Thanks for the review!

G.G: Heh…I hope I can update faster next time….Thanks for da review.

Wind Kunai: wow, I guess everyone really dislikes cliffies! But I love them! Thanks for da review.

SasuSaku Lover: I'm sorry I couldn't update that soon! But here is the update anyways and thanks for the review!

Hanyo girl: Heh! Shall I be evil and pull out the suspense? (evil oroichimaru laugh) Thanks a lot for da review!

So-kun: Thanks for da review! Here's the update, hope ya'll enjoy it.

_Black hair. Black-no, green black eyes…That face….it looks like…it looks like me. But it couldn't be…. _

Then, with growing alarm he remembered, remembered the night he had shared with Sakura, remembered gazing into her green eyes…

_It couldn't be……Was it? Was it possible…….? Had things really changed that much?_

Chapter Five

_Those eyes…that face…It has to be….There's no other possibility…Is this…my son? _

The sky was beginning to grow dark, with the coming of sunset, but all he could do was stand there-helpless, pathetically- just noticing all the things that were similar and remembering-remembering _that_ night. And it all fit together. _But if that's true…then where is _she_? Why isn't she here-And why the hell was the boy glaring at him like that?_

Then, Naruto was there.

"Oh, there you are, Yuki-chan! We were looking for you! Me and Hinata-we were really worried! It's okay though, as long as you aren't hurt."

He saw Naruto stride over, grin that grin of his at the boy, who was still glaring at him, with _those _eyes. But Naruto's face changed, his blue eyes clouded, hiding feelings Sasuke could not read as he saw Sasuke staring inexplicably at Yuki.

And then, Naruto was behind him, his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. And already, Sasuke knew that Naruto knew-had known, from the very beginning_-that this was Sakura and Sasuke's child. Why does everyone know about this but me? Because you left…And you used to think Naruto was the dumb one. Naruto's not the dobe here…you are..._And he found he could say nothing. There wasn't anything he could say. This was Sakura's son. No, this was _his _son…And all along, all along…._So things have changed….changed so much…_

"Oi, Sasuke-teme…You okay?"

He smirked. "Yeah…sure…Why wouldn't I be?"

And the worried look on Naruto's face deepened. "Hey, Sasuke-teme…You know…things have really changed around here…I guess…Well, I want to be the one to break it to you…but, there are things you should know…Things have-"

"I know! Things have changed. I know."

And silence passed, awkwardly-the three figures standing outside of the house. In the end, it was the boy who broke the silence, his eyes still furious. _He looks like me…when I was that age…_

"Naruto-san? What's going on? Who is that man? Is he…is he related to that man who took Okaa-san away?"

_Took Okaa-san away? Someone kidnapped Sakura?_

Naruto scratched the back of his head, smiling uneasily. "Heh…I guess we should really talk over this a bit, shouldn't we? Maybe we could go into the house and talk-maybe with some ramen?"

But even through his smile, Sasuke saw that Naruto's hands were clenched.

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The inside of the house was fairly simple-a kitchen, two bedrooms, piles of unopened instant ramen sitting by the table.

Now, with Naruto seated on the couch, eyes serious, Sasuke in the next chair, and Yuki sitting next to Naruto, eyes still glaring hard at Sasuke, Naruto began.

"Sasuke…I guess it's been a long time since you left, and it'll probably come as a surprise for you…but after you left…Sakura found out she was pregnant. And…well, after nine months, there was Yuki. And he's a living replica of you, so you should probably be making the same conclusions that Yuki…is your son…And you weren't here, but after Yuki was born, Sakura changed a lot. She had to take care of Yuki all by herself…And Yuki…I know you're probably wondering who this man is…and it might be hard for you to understand completely…but this is your father…. He isn't the man who kidnapped your mother."

_My father? _Yuki's eyes widened, black eyes shifting to where Sasuke sat. _Otou…san….?_

Sasuke stood up, eyes hard.

"Naruto. And about this whole kidnapping thing…where the hell is Sakura?"

Naruto looked down at the floor, then back at Sasuke. "A few days ago, she was kidnapped…by Itachi."

There was silence, and then, the sound of wood breaking, as Sasuke's fist landed on the table.

"Itachi…Why the hell did he take Sakura?"

"It was because of you…He needed a hostage…We don't know his exact plans, but he needed a hostage for something that had to do with you…. So he took Sakura."

"Itachi…."

Naruto was uneasy, seeing the look of hatred in Sasuke's eyes. Then, Sasuke was walking out the door, hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Sasuke-teme! I'm supposed to be supervising you, you know! You can't just run away like this!"

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_Itachi…….._ He should have known…And now, guilt was spreading through him. If he had just finished Itachi off while he could, Sakura…Sakura wouldn't have been kidnapped…_Itachi!_

Sasuke slammed his fist into a tree, feeling tree bark snap.

You said before yourself that you didn't want to see anyone dear to you die again. But Sakura…Sakura…..You've been gone too long. And Yuki….

He smiled faintly. She named him Yuki…_And he remembered a day when it had snowed, and he knew why she had named their son that…_

_"Sasuke-kun!"_

_Already, he could see Sakura running through the snow to greet him. He frowned. And here he thought he would be able to train alone, but with Sakura around, it wouldn't be possible to get any work done. He could already imagine her yelling his name again and again on the training grounds…How annoying…Why didn't she just leave him alone?_

_And then, he saw her leg catch on a small twig sticking from the snow, and saw her fall, face down into the snow._

_Frowning again, disdainfully, he walked over._

_"Don't be so clumsy, Sakura."_

_She didn't move, and for a moment, he was worried. But then he noticed that her face was a slight shade of red, and instantly, he knew she had a fever. Baka….Why was she out in the snow if she had a fever?_

_Reluctantly, he pulled her up. "Oi, Sakura."_

_Her eyes opened. "Sasuke-kun? I forgot…I wanted to give you your Christmas present…Here…"_

_She pulled out a wrapped present and handed it to him._

_"…I feel so sick…." He heard her mumble before she collapsed into his arms._

_And he had carried her all the way home, all the way, his face flushing from the feel of her skin against his. ._

And that had been ages ago, only a faint memory now. So long ago…

He felt someone's presence behind him, but when he turned, he saw Yuki. The two of them, father and son stood there in the darkness.

"My mother…" He heard Yuki say in a small voice-the voice of a child. "Did you love her?"

He looked at his son, noticed that even though he had black hair and dark eyes of green, he still looked like her. And then, the question. Had he loved her?

"…yes….." And he didn't realize he had loved her until now.

A/N: Was that okay? Please review!


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